Earth anchor device



Nov. 9 192s. v 1,606,146

E. K. COLE ET AL EARTH ANCHORYDEVICE' Filed Jan. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 No'v. 9,1926. 1,606,146 v E. K. COLE ET Al. Y

EARTH ANCHOR DEVICE Fil ed Jan. 14; 1924 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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Patented Nov. 9, i926.

ELMEB K. COLE AND CHARLES E. HANDEL, F WINTERSET, IOWAl v EARTH ANCHOR DEVICE.

Application filed January 14, 1e24, Serial No. 686,070.

The object of our invention is to provide an earth anchor device of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, especially designed for use in supporting guy wires for posts or the like.

More specifically it is our object to provide an anchor device which may be inserted in the earth in a hole of relatively small diameter, and in which the anchor blades-may then be positively and uniformly forced outwardly into the earth surrounding the opening, to thereby grip a'relative area of earth surrounding the opening; and Further in this connection it is our object to provide a means for expanding the anchor blades whereby they may be expanded in a convenient and facile manner.

this characterin which the anchor head and blades may be formed of cast metal and readily and quickly assembled in position for operation without any machine work, whereby the cost of construction is mini mized.

A further object is to provide an anchor device of this character in which the part of the anchor device which serves to' expand the anchor blades in the earth may be readily, quickly and easily detached from the parts that remain permanently in the ground,

so that only one expanding member need be used in connection with an unlimited number of the anchor parts that remain permanently in the ground.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claim,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation partly in section illustrating our complete anchor de vice inserted in an opening in the ground with the anchor blades in their folded position.

Figure 2 shows a similar view of the lower ortion of the anchor device with the anchor lades expanded.

Figure 3 shows a. top or plan view illustrating the expanding device.

Figure 4 shows a top or plan viewof the anchor head with twoof the blades in folded to the head and in an expanded position,

F ignre 6 shows a side elevation of a modified form of our invention'partly in section. The dotted lines show the position that the anchor blades will assume when expanded.

Figure 7 shows a top or plan view of same.

Figure 8 shows a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 6. Afurther object is to provide a device of 7 we have used the reference numeral 10 to Referring to the accompanying drawings,

indicate the body portion of the anchor head. This is substantially rectangular in outline andis provided with a central longitudinal opening at 11 and a nut recess 12 at its bottom, the opening being designed to receive the anchor rod 13 upon which the nut 14 is mounted to rest in said recess 12.

Ateach side of the body portion there is formed a curved slot 15 with a bearing pin .16 at the upper outer portion of the slot, as shown in Figure 5. There are preferably that when two adjacent blades are arranged in folded position, as shown at the upper right side of Figure 4, the outwardly curved portion of one blade will fit into the inwardly curved portion of the adjacent blade, and thus permit the blades to occupy a minimum space and lit close together around the supporting rod 13.

These parts are so. arranged and proportioned that when the upper ends of the.

blades are tilted to position overlapping the center of the body portion 10, as shown in solid lines in Figure 5, the hook 17 may freely enter the slots 15, and engage the bearing pins 16. Then the blades may be folded up to position adjacent to the rod 13,

as shown in Figure 1. When, however, the

blades are tilted outwardly in their expanded position, the shoulder 18 thereof will engage the outer surface of the body 10, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 5, thus limiting the further outward movement of the blades.

Forthe purpose of expanding'the blades into the earth we provide an expander tube 19 having fixed to its lower end an expander head 20, which head is preferably octagonal in shape at its outer edges and is of such size that when the head'is placed adjacent to the upper ends of the anchor.

blades when they are in their folded posi- 20 tion, the head will enter between" the upper ,edges of said blades, and one of the flat sides of the head engaging each' of the blades, as shown in Figure 1.

Fitted into the 'upper end of the expander tube 17 is a bearing block 21having a central opening through it, through which is extended a screw threaded rod 22 having a book 23 at its lower end designed to engage the upper end of the rod 13, as shown in Figure 1. Mounted uponthe top of the rod 22 above the bearing block 21 is a'nut 24 having handles 25 thereon for turning it.

In practical operation the anchor device is assembled. as follows:

5 Before the insertion of the rod 13, the

blades are hooked into position, as before described, then the rod is insertedbetween the blades and through the opening 11 and the nut 14 placed-on the bottom.. This rod prevents the blades from moving inwardly far enough to unhook from the anchor body 10, so that these parts are permanently as-.

sembled. Then the operator forms a hole in the earth at the desired position. It is only necesary to make this hole approximately the same diameter as the blades when, in their folded position. Then the screw threaded rod 22 is hooked to the rod 13 above the ground and the tube orpipe 19 with its expander head 20 is slid over these rods 13 and 22. Then the bearing block 21 is placed in position inside of the upper e'n of the tube-19 and surrounding the screw threaded rod 33, and then the nut 24 is screwed on the upper end of the rod 22. Then theoperator manipulates the nut 24 by the handles 25. This-causes the expander head 20 to engage the .upper inner ends of' the anchor blades. As the screw pressure is increased, there will be a downward pressure by the expander head on the blades. and an upper pressure on the blade against the expander head, substantially equalized, and the result of which is that the tops of the blades are first forced outwardly into engagement -wilth the earth. Then the blades move upwardly and outwardly following the line of their curvature until they are fully expanded, as shown in Figure 2, whereupon further outward movement is prevented by the engagement of the shoulder 18 against the body 10.

When this has been done, the nut 24 is removed and the rod 22 is unhooked from the rod 13. Then the tube with the expander head is removed-from the opening in the ground and the anchor is ready for use.

Obviously by our improved method of expanding the anchor blades, a relatively small sized opening may be made'in the ground and a maximum expansion given t the anchor when opened-out. Furthermore, the parts which remain in the groundare of simple, durable and inexpensive construction and do not need any machining, and may be readily, quickly and easily assembled. In the modified form of our invention,

illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the lower end of the rod 13 is screw threaded up to a point above the tops of the anchor blades when in their folded positionfand the nut 26 is mountedon said rod from its lower end and screwed up to a point above the top of the anchod blades when folded. Then an expanding blade 27 is placed on the rod from below and its upper end engages the nut 26 to limit its upper movement relative to the rod, and said blade is freely rotataoie s 17 and 18 from frictionally engaging theadjacent surfaces of the body 10 when pressure is applied in a downward direction to the upper ends of the anchor members by the member 27. This we accom lish by forming a rib 30 on the blade 18 a ove the point where the blade engages the pin 16 so' that all of the downward thrust is carried by.the rib 30 engaging the smooth rounded surface of the-pin and none of it is transmitted to'the relatively rough and uneven contacting surface between the under surface of the hook and the adjacent curved surface of the bodyportion-10.

After the anchor members have been expanded and a pull is applied to ther'od 13 and'the' ends of the anchor blades are em-, bedded in the ground, then considerable pressure is applied to the hooks on the ends of the anchor blades in an upward direc- I tion'against the pin l6, and for the purpose of preventing this'pressure from reachin the point of breaking strains as applied to the hook, We have beveled the lower. corners of the body portion downwardly and toward a vertical line at 31 through the center of the body portion, and we have also correspondingly beveled the shoulders. 18 and the lower ends of the anchor blades so that when the shoulder 18 contacts, with these beveled portions 31, .they will prevent' an upward thrust by the hooks against the pin 16, to thereby relieve any possibility of breaking strain as applied to these hooks and throw all of the strains on the reinforced portions of the anchor blades.

In practical use of this modified form the parts are adjusted to position so that the upper inner edges of the anchor bladesengage their respective notches in the periphery of the spreader plate. Then the anchor is inserted. in a. hole formed in the ground for this purpose, and-the rod 13 is tance,

inserted in the ground to the desired dis- Then the rod 13 is turned which has the effect of moving the body 10 upwardly in the hole and toward the spreader plate. VVnen this turning movement is first commenced some or all offlthe outer ends of theanchor blades will be embedded in the walls of the hole, and this will prevent the rotation of any of the partsof the device, except the rod itself. As the turning of the. rod continues, the blades will, be.

forced upwardly and outwardly to thejposition shown by dotted lines in Figure 6, and when this has been done, the blades .will

be firml anchored in the ing the ole.

. We claim as our invention:

ground surroundbearing pin in said slot, and each being also formed at its lower end with a downwardly extended lug designel to engage said shoulder when the upper end] of the blade has been moved to its outward limit, whereby the blades may be readily, quickly and easily detached from the body when their'upper ends are at their inner limit 'of movenientbut are held against removal when the blades are at any other angle relative to the rod,'and

whereby when the blades are fullyextended they will be locked against further outward movement by said bearing pins and, shoul' 'ders, and. a spreader plate rotatively mounted upon the rod' but held against downward movement thereon, said spreader plate be-- ing designed to engage said blades and cause them to move outwardly when said body portion is moved upwardly relative to the spreader plate.

y ELMER K. COLE.

CHARLES E.'HANDEL.

- 40 v In an earth anchor device, the combina- 

